Ahead of the Clark extension, the Chiefs had $21.9 million in total cap space, according to the NFLPA’s public salary cap report. The first-year numbers for Clark likely will take up a good chunk of that space, if not all of it.

Remember, the Chiefs will gain $9.5 million on the cap on June 1, when Eric Berry’s contract finally comes off the books. They can use that money to sign their rookie class and commit a huge chunk of the salary cap total in 2019 to Clark.

The first three years of Clark’s deal will probably be jam-packed with that guaranteed money, and to offset that the Chiefs will likely look to backload future contracts for players like Chris Jones, Patrick Mahomes and possibly Tyreek Hill. They likely feel comfortable doing that with a player like Mahomes, who they intend to keep for the length of his NFL career.

The trade for Clark and the accompanying contract extension are a strong indication the Chiefs are committed to getting to a Super Bowl soon. They got a taste of playoff success last season, and they’re committed to building a new defense to help them get there.

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